Program structure

The Retail Management program is not just a list of courses you check off; it is a meticulously designed three-year adventure that transforms you into a strategic retail leader. What makes this program so special? It's all about the architecture. Every course builds deliberately on the one before it, and three signature pillars run through your entire three-year journey: the Applied Retail Track, the Antonia Ax:son Johnson Tutorial Program, and AI Skills Building Track. They weave theory and practice into one seamless, coherent experience.

No other bachelor program does it quite like this. Instead of keeping theory and practice in separate boxes, we blend them from day one. You will learn the language of business while tackling real challenges with real companies in the Applied Retail Track. Meanwhile, the Antonia Ax:son Johnson Tutorial Program gives you a dedicated space to reflect, think critically, and discover your own personal leadership style. And let's not forget Prompt Days! The AI Skills Building Track. It prepares you to use AI in real-world business scenarios, giving you the exact skills you need to solve modern business challenges. Together, these three pillars create the magic of our program.

The journey unfolds across three distinct phases. Each year builds on the last, bringing you closer to being fully professional-ready.

In your first year, you will build the foundational knowledge and perspective that support everything to come. Core courses in economics, marketing, accounting, and supply chain management provide you with a strong knowledge base, and we introduce retail as an applied context right from the start.

Semester 1

• Period 1 kicks off with the Introductory Course in Happiness and Wellbeing. It might sound surprising for a business program, but it is actually deeply strategic. As Micael Dahlen, our Professor of Wellbeing, Welfare & Happiness says, "Happiness, wellbeing and welfare are what both economics and business are fundamentally about; how can we make life better for everyone." Next is Introduction to Retailing, the connective tissue of your first semester. It introduces the retail ecosystem and provides the framework that makes every other course meaningful. We also dive into Economics I, giving you a microeconomic lens to understand markets. Supply, demand, pricing, and equilibrium aren't just abstract theories here; they are the invisible architecture behind every strategic decision.
  
  
• Period 2 brings Accounting, where you will learn the true language of business. You will pick up key skills for controller and management roles. In retail, where margins are thin and inventory is vast, financial literacy isn't just a bonus—it is a survival requirement. We close the semester with Marketing, shifting your focus from understanding the market to influencing it. This is where creativity meets strategy, and you will start learning what it takes to build a brand and connect with customers.

Semester 2

• Period 3 introduces Management Control, putting your new financial language to work. You will learn to move from just reading financial data to actively using it to steer an organization. You will identify key performance indicators and use financial info to make future decisions. This is where you really start thinking like a manager! Alongside this, Supply Chain Management reveals the operational complexity behind every product on the shelf. You will see that operations aren't just logistics; they are powerful sources of competitive advantage.
  
  
• Period 4 expands your view with Economics II, moving from domestic markets to the global economy. Trade flows, policies, and economic cycles shape the business world. When products cross continents before reaching consumers, understanding the global economy is crucial! Finally, Marketing Research completes your transition from creative instinct to data-driven strategy. You will get the tools to gather, analyze, and interpret customer data, turning insights into a competitive edge. Asking the right questions and letting data guide your answers becomes a central skill as you move forward.

By the end of Year 1, you won't just have course credits. You will have a holistic understanding of how markets work, how companies create value, and how all the different dimensions of a complex organization interact.

Welcome to Year 2, where your solid foundation transforms into a professional toolkit!  Through deeper, more applied coursework, you will advance your expertise in strategy, finance, consumer behavior, and organizational theory. Analytical tools and real-world applications take center stage.

Semester 3

• Period 1 pairs Finance and Management & Organization for a powerful strategic combo. Finance teaches you to think like an investor—valuing assets, assessing risk, and making capital choices under uncertainty. From portfolio theory to valuation, you will gain the analytical tools to tackle real-world financial challenges. Management & Organization complements this by teaching you how to navigate and lead complex organizations. You will learn to diagnose challenges, reframe problems, and develop practical leadership and negotiation skills. Together, they give you the dual power of knowing what to do and having the ability to make it happen.
  
  
• Period 2 introduces Retail Accounting and Financial Management, teaching you to think like a CFO. You will build financial models, analyze key ratios, and turn numbers into strategic insights. Business Law uncovers the legal architecture of markets. You will learn how law structures ownership, allocates power, and shapes value creation in retail. Navigating contracts, consumer protection, and sustainability requirements will equip you to manage legal and ethical risks like a pro.

Semester 4

• Period 3 lays your analytical foundation with Data Analytics: Statistics for Retail Management. You will rigorously work with data, applying probability, statistics, and basic machine learning to find patterns and make predictions. Data becomes your ultimate decision-making tool! Principles of Happiness adds a critical dimension for long-term success. Companies depend on people, and this course challenges you to think beyond metrics to consider how to create a better life for yourself and others. Marketing Communications is where your business strategy meets the market. You will learn how to position brands, influence behavior, and design communication that drives both short-term sales and long-term brand value.
  
  
• Period 4 brings Customer Experience Management, the point where all business decisions become visible to the customer. Pricing, operations, branding, and tech all converge here. You will design experiences that boost satisfaction, loyalty, and profitability. Finally, Data Science for Retail Management shows you where business is heading. You will learn to use Python, machine learning, and text data to extract deep insights and support strategic decisions. Together with Data Analytics, this course separates modern retail pros from the traditional ones, giving you the power to turn raw data into actionable insight.

Your third year is the grand finale! This is where all your knowledge and skills come together to tackle the industry's most complex and impactful challenges. You will move from building your toolkit to applying strategy, driving decisions, and proving you are professional-ready.

Semester 5

• Period 1 starts with Current Issues in Retailing, ensuring you engage with the retail landscape as it exists today, not just in textbooks. You will examine contemporary challenges like digital transformation and sustainability. You will also dive into the Applied Retail Track Company Project, developing and presenting operational strategies for real retail partners.
  
  
• Period 2 features Retail Operations, providing the framework to align an organization's capabilities with its strategic goals. You will boost efficiency and performance across inventory, fulfillment, and returns. Advanced Customer Management takes your customer-centric mindset to a strategic level. You will analyze challenges in acquiring and retaining customers, translating data insights into actionable recommendations to optimize customer lifetime value.

Semester 6

• Period 3 brings Brand and Category Management to life. You will learn how retailers use brands and categories as strategic tools to drive sales and long-term growth. Alongside this, you will start your Degree Project (Thesis), conducting original research on a topic of your choice within retail, applying all the rigor and insight you have developed over the years.
  
  
• Period 4 equips you with Innovation Strategy to drive growth in a dynamic retail environment. You will identify opportunities, develop ideas, and scale innovation through design thinking and experimentation. In a sector constantly reshaped by tech and shifting consumer expectations, this is essential. You will also complete and present your Degree Project, defending your work and marking your final, high-impact achievement.

These tracks aren't just add-ons; they are the defining features of your education.

Applied Retail Track (ART)
A three-year collaboration with leading retail companies — this is where theory meets practice. From the moment you join the program, you become a member of a Retail Club: a group of 15–20 students deliberately mixed across Year 1, Year 2, and Year 3. This cross-year setup is intentional — you learn both from each other and from the companies themselves.

Antonia Ax:son Johnson Tutorial Program
This is your structured personal development journey! Based on the Stockholm School of Economics’ pedagogical mission FREE — which summarizes the qualities and competencies students are expected to develop by graduation — the program combines intimate one-to-one sessions with your personal tutor and group discussions within your Retail Club. While the Applied Retail Track engages you with the business world, this program engages you with yourself.

AI Skills Building Track – “Prompt Days”
Prompt Days ensures that you are not just aware of AI, but fully capable of working with it in real business contexts. As AI rapidly reshapes the consumer economy, this track equips you with a critical, future-proof skill set, giving you a clear competitive edge in a data-driven industry. Through Prompt Days, you will develop practical skills in applying AI to real business challenges. Hands-on workshops teach you how to use AI tools to analyze data, automate tasks, and develop innovative solutions. By combining academic insight with industry expertise, Prompt Days ensures you are perfectly prepared to navigate the technological transformation of the consumer economy.

Your three-year journey through the Retail Management program is, above all, a transformation. You enter as a curious, motivated individual, and you leave as a strategic retail leader! You will understand the industry's complexity, apply rigorous analytical thinking, prove your value to major organizations, and lead with integrity.

Our deliberate course sequencing ensures your knowledge builds progressively. The Applied Retail Track tests theory against reality. The Antonia Ax:son Johnson Tutorial Program pairs professional development with personal growth. And Prompt Days gives you a massive competitive edge by teaching you how to apply AI to solve real business challenges. This isn't just a program that prepares you for a career in retail—it is a program that prepares you to lead it!